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What if Walt Disney was the producer of Looney Tunes/Walt Disney Animated Classics/The Adventures of Ichabod and Sara Crewe
The Adventures of Ichabod and Sara Crewe is a 1949 animated package film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film consists of two segments – the first is based on the 1905 children's story A Little Princess by British author Frances Hodgson Burnett, and the second is based on the 1820 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, called Ichabod Crane in the film, by American author Washington Irving. The film is the 13rd Walt Disney theatrical animated feature and is the last of the studio's package film era of the 1940s, following Fantasia, Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time, until The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in March 1977. Beginning in 1955, the two portions of the film were separated, and televised as part of the Disneyland television series. They were later marketed and sold separately on home video. Plot As the film's animated segments are based on literary works, they are both introduced in live-action scenes set in a library as a framing device. The first segment is introduced and narrated by Basil Rathbone, and the second segment is introduced and narrated by Bing Crosby. Decca Records issued an album called Ichabod – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow featuring Crosby in 1949 to tie in with the release of the film. ''The Little Princess'' This segment is based on A Little Princess (1905) by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story is set in and around London, England, United Kingdom during the Boer War. TBD ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' The second segment is based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Although the film introduces the story as Ichabod Crane, later individual releases retained the story's original title. (As a short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was originally published in The Sketch Book with other stories, not as a single volume as pictured in the film.) In October 1790, Ichabod Crane, a lanky, gluttonous, superstitious yet charming dandy arrives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, a small village north of Tarrytown and New York City, New York, United States that is renowned for its ghostly hauntings, to be the town's new schoolmaster. Despite his odd behavior, appearance, and effeminate mannerisms, Ichabod soon wins the hearts of the village's women and forms good friendships with his students. Brom Bones, the roguish town hero, does his best to bully Ichabod. However, he is very good at ignoring these taunts and continues to interact with the townspeople. Ichabod then falls in love with Katrina van Tassel, the beautiful daughter and only child of Baltus van Tassel, who is the richest man in the village (unlike in most films, Katrina does not have spoken dialogue in this segment). Despite the fact that he is falling in love with her, Ichabod mainly desires to take her family's money for himself. Brom, who is also in love with her, proceeds to compete with the schoolmaster. Ichabod wins Katrina over at every opportunity, although, unbeknownst to him, Katrina, who thinks Brom is too sure of himself, is only using Ichabod to make Brom jealous and force him to try harder for her affections. The two love rivals are invited to the van Tassel Halloween party where Brom tries to swap a plump woman for Katrina who is dancing with Ichabod but comically fails. While both men dine, Brom catches Ichabod nervously tossing salt over his shoulder. Discovering that Ichabod is superstitious, he decides to sing the tale of the legendary Headless Horseman who was apparently killed by a cannonball in a recent conflict and travels each year on Halloween while searching for a head to replace the one he had lost and that the only way to escape the ghost is to cross an old covered bridge over a brook. Everyone else, including Katrina, finds this amusing while Ichabod, on the other hand, starts to fear for his life. On his way home from the party, Ichabod becomes paranoid by every animal noise he hears while riding through the dark woods, increasing his fear of the possibility of encountering the Horseman. While traveling through the old cemetery, Ichabod believes he hears the sound of a horse galloping toward him, but discovers the sound is being made by nearby cattails bumping on a log. Relieved, Ichabod begins to laugh with his horse. However, their laughter is cut short by the appearance of the real Headless Horseman riding a black horse (that is, suspiciously, identical to Brom's horse). After the ghost gives chase, Ichabod, remembering Brom's advice, crosses a covered bridge, which stops the ghost's pursuit. However, the horseman throws his flaming head, revealed to be a great big jack-o'-lantern, at a screaming Ichabod, who tries to duck, but is too late to duck, fails, then gets hit, and tumbles headlong into the dust. The next morning, Ichabod's hat is found at the bridge next to the Headless Horseman's shattered pumpkin, but Ichabod is nowhere to be found. Sometime later, Brom takes Katrina as his bride. Rumors begin to spread that Ichabod is still alive, married to a wealthy widow in a distant county with children who all look like him. However, the people of Sleepy Hollow insist that he has been "spirited away" by the Headless Horseman. Cast Uncredited Production Reception Critical reaction Box office Accolades Release Television airings Home video Directing animators Trivia